In 1975, a water spreading system directed water from natural drainage ways and spreads it by means of a dike or a series of dikes across a large area, a flowing gradual infiltration of water into the soil profile. Us of water spreading systems had steadily increased in North Dakota. £ach year for the last nine years an average of 1,000 acres of land has been converted to use water spreading as a means of water conservation. More than 90 per cent of these systems are located in western North Dakota. A review of a study conducted to determine the value of a water spreading system for alfalfa and tame grass production in western North Dakota with and without nitrogen fertilization is discussed.